My newest foster should be here tomorrow!

[Michaela]

Aww she's lovely.:inlove:

 

[HoneyPot]

Very pretty...

 

[MyBoyHarper]

And hateful! Good grief. She'll be playing withher toys and eating, and the minute I walk into the room, she lunges atthe cage, growling the whole way. And she'll stand at the very edge ofthe cage, as close as she can get to me, and sit there making this'spitting' sound, growling, and grunting loudly. She's freakin' psycho.Harper only grunts once or twice when he is extremely POed. This rabbitwon't stop until you walk out the room.

Chance was looking at her like she had lost her mind.

I can tell you now, this bunny will not be getting much 'handson'attention from me. Sad to say, but I can't even get myhand NEAR her cage, and she tries to rip the flesh off. And oh GoodLord, try reaching in after her, and you will lack a finger! Shelatches on and you have to PRY her mouth off of you!

So yeah, sad to say, butno way am Itouchin her!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Time to call in an exorcist?:shock2::devil Geez, that's nuts. You should getsome video of it, I'd like to see and hear that.:shock:

 

[MyBoyHarper]

I'll go record her right now! Be back in a few with video.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

K back. This video is mostly cage aggression,she was worse last night and early this morning -- ramming the cagewith her head and growling nonstop. :shock:And of course,latching onto my hand.

A minute ago she wasn't quite as bad, but still has an attitude problemand some serious cage aggession issues. If you want to hear hergrowling, turn up the volume. My camera has really bad audio.


http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i115/spookyjr/?action=view&current=45d6efe9.flv

 

[ec]

My impression (from video): She seems scared. (Seriously!)

I forget who posted earlier about possible mistreatement in her recentpast (includes being caged a *lot*) - whoever you were, I think you hitthe nail on the head! (Along with her territoriality beinghormone-related, of course.)

Remember that she's going thorugh *major* stresses right now - moving,new bunnies, other animal smells, new human, etc. etc. The only "safe"place she's got (at to her mind, at least) is that small cage....

BTW, she's beautiful!

 

[aurora369]

Wow, she acts just like my little foster Pennyacted when I first got her. Wildfire was also aggresive, butnot that bad.

Penny hated hands, she would do the same boxing, lunging, biting thingyour girl is doing. What eventually won her over wastreats. My boyfriend sat in a pen with her and fed her littlebits of dried papaya and ever so slowly start to rub the top of herhead when she was chewing. It was amazing how quickly shechanged after that experience. She begantrustinghands more, although she still prefered a face thanhands.

Penny became a very affectionit bun after that. She wouldgive kisses like no tomorrow if you offered her your face. Aslong as you didn't move too quickly with your hands towards her, shewas okay.

I would also use the hand over the head/shoulder area when she wouldlunge at me. After they learn that it doesn't get them whatthey want, they normally stop. I know how scary it is, butyou have to stop giving her what she wants (which is for the hands togo away).

Wear gloves if you have to, and I would try to do most of thesocializing outside of the cage so she can have a place to feel safein. But she is not a lost case, just angry and confused.

--Dawn

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi MBH, she is very sweet to look atthough. I've read (even on this forum) that many rabbits arevery territorial with their cage. Who knows what kind of treatment shehad before you. Is their any way you can leave the door openand let her come out on her own.

Our sweet little Daisy Mae grunts and uses her two front feet on meevery time I go into her cage. She never bites but I'm sureshe's trying to tell me "Get out of here this is my home".

Hopefully in time she will learn to trust you and she figures out you are the "Good Guy" ok I mean "Good Girl".

Susan :bunnydance:

 

[ec]

I would try to do most of the socializingoutside of the cage so she can have a place to feel safe in.But she is not a lost case, just angry and confused.

Nibbles has never been cage-agressive, but she had to have beenmishandled before she ended up at the shelter where I adopted her. Ifeel for this little girl; she's clearly having a rough time (andlikely has in the past) - and think "confused" is an excellent way todescribe her.

My guess is that she really, really needs to feel safe.

FWIW, over a year ago I saw a video on YouTube, posted by a girl whosaid her rabbit was cage-agressive. Well.... she was baiting the bunnyby sticking her hand into the cage and poking her with a hairbrush! Herbunny kept trying to run away from it, but there was literally nowhereto go - so she attacked some, which is exactly what I'd have done inher place.

Your new foster girl probably has good cause to be angry, fearful anddefensive of her territory. (Not having anything to do with you.)

One other thought: Could she have been bred before you got her?

 

[MyBoyHarper]

ec, I highly doubt she was bred. The girl was soupset to let her go and wanted to make double sure that she would NOTbe used as a breeder. She assured her that would never happen. The girlobviously loved the rabbit (you oughta seeall the nice thingsthat came with her!) and her and her boyfriend were just a loving andhugging on her, well trying to. I think it may have not been thecurrent owner's fault, but there may have been other's in the dorm thatmay have picked on her, ect. The girl did admit that she was in thecage most of the time, because she just couldn't let her out due totime and dorm restrictions. That's why she gave her up, in hopes of hergetting a better home.

 

[ec]

but you don't know what other people might havedone (re. mistreatment), or what happened when you weren't around tosee. and being confined to that cage most of the time isreason enough for (I'd think) most any bunny to become cage-protective.it's her only "safe" space right now. (Given the fact that she's in adifferent place, etc. etc. now.)

 

[maherwoman]

Wow...she sure is a Maisie lookalike...

And one thing I will say, Maisie gets offered LOTS of time out of hercage, and every now and then lunges or nips my hand. Itdoesn't happen terribly often, but being as spoiled and loved-on as mygirl is, to still do that, I think is saying something.

They quite literally are twins, too...Maisie's just shy of 5lbs.

Anyway, just my two cents on it. I think if Maisie weren'tallowed time out of her cage (or at least the offer...she neverreally actually comes OUT of her cage...just sits in the doorway andgets love), she would get aggressive like that in aHEARTBEAT. She's got some sort of natural aggression thatI've worked with her on...but oddly enough, it's aggression in aneffort to get more attention..if that makes any sense.

I can see a lot of the same kind of activity that Maisie does (thoughshe's never boxed, she has lunged), but maybe I just don't know enoughabout rabbit aggression to know if there's an actual similiarity.

Anyway, just my thoughts...

She's beautiful, and I think has the potential to be quite a lot likeMaisie as far as fighting FOR love. (A good example: I triedto get a video tour of the inside of Maisie's house, and she would NOTstep out of the way...she wouldn't let my camera-holding hand go bywithout lovin' on her, so I had to stop filming and just pether. Hehe!)


:inlove:

 

[ec]

but oddly enough, it's aggression in an effort to get more attention..if that makes any sense.

I can see a lot of the same kind of activity that Maisie does (thoughshe's never boxed, she has lunged), but maybe I just don't know enoughabout rabbit aggression to know if there's an actualsimiliarity.

Exactly! though Nibbles' triggers were different - and she's alwaysloved to explore, get petted, etc. - I saw the same kind of behavior inher. Some of it had to do with her age and the fact that she'd beenspayed right before I adopted her, but I'm sure there were otherfactors as well.

She's beautiful, and I think has the potential to be quite a lot like Maisie as far as fighting FOR love.

:yeahthat

My heart really goes out to your new girl. :bunny19

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I found myself jumping away from the screen,lol. She should calm down eventually. Poor thinghas been four different places, that's adding to her anxiety I'msure. Do you have a stuffy you could give her?Maybe that would help calm her down a bit. She can snugglewith it and begin to trust again.

 

[ec]

I'd set up an ex-pen for this girl, open hercage so she could come and go as she pleased, and spend a *lot* of timehanging out on the floor, not touching her or trying to pet her -http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html

I know she seems to be anything *but* shy in certain situations, but...She's new and scared. She needs time, and to see that new people can betrusted.

Goodness knows how long you'll have her, but I think any time spenthelping her to be able to trust is time very well spent!

 

[maherwoman]

Hey, very cool that I was able to identify things right! Hehe!!

Sometimes I feel like such a novice, but at others I feel like I'm really getting a good feel for bunnies. Hehe...

I guess it's the sort of thing that improves the more time you spend around your buns, huh?

Sorry to hijack the thread temporarily...I was just happy to see that Icould actually identify bunny behaviour correctly...I've felt soinadequate in that area...nice to see I can actually do it!

 

[MyBoyHarper]

Actually, I won't have her long, Thank God. Shehas a pending adoption and hopefully she'll be gone by Monday. I can'thandle a rabbit taking a chunk of my skin out everytime I try to feedit.

 

[ec]

I was just happy to see that I couldactually identify bunny behaviour correctly...I've felt so inadequatein that area...

time to stop beating up on yourself about that, Rosie - you're such acareful, patient observer of bunny behavior and personality. I knowthat from reading your posts.

MBH, she probably won't go after you if you give her some more breathngroom. I'd really try to *not* be reaching into her cage when she'sinside it. This isn't meant as a criticism, but I could see her gettingmore upset through the course of the video.

I think she was trying to say "Please leave me alone" in the only way she knows.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

Oh yeah, UPDATE on the foster in which this thread was originally started on -- the LOP!

The lady called and is still definitely coming in from New Orleans inthe morning, we are leaving about 9am to meet her for around 10am. I'mso excited, she's been telling me all about her personality and I'mgiddy.

She wants to meet Trixie's future husband (yeah right) and wants me tobring Chance along. He likes car rides (or really going anywhere I goperiod) so I will probably bring him. Maybe it'll cheer him up. Heseems to like any bunny he meets, he gets along with others from therescue (we have a picture of 4 of them hanging out together, allmales!) so I'm sure he'll love to give her a sniff hello.

I'll have pictures up tomorrow the minute I get her home. I'm bringingmy camera to take pictures of the meeting. I can't believe I'm meetinghis look-alike, how cool is that!